The best beaches in the world for 2023 ranked by Tripadvisor – with South America fielding the winner, Australia and Hawaii making the top 10 and a Norfolk beach No.1 in the UK
You’re shore to have a good time if you sunbathe on one of Tripadvisor’s top-ranked stretches of sand for 2023.
According to the travel site, the number one beach to add to your bucket (and spade) list is Baia do Sancho on the volcanic island of Fernando de Noronha off the coast of Brazil, as it has been awarded first place in its 2023 Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches.
It takes the top spot – for the sixth time – in a ranking drawn up from the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings from Tripadvisor travellers for beaches worldwide, gathered from January 1 through to December 31, 2022.
Eagle Beach in Aruba claims the global silver medal, the bronze goes to Cable Beach in Western Australia and Kaanapali Beach in Hawaii is the top-ranking beach in the U.S, landing 10th in the 25-strong global table.
Gorleston-on-Sea on the Norfolk coast, meanwhile, is the UK’s top-ranking beach and comes 12th on the European list, which features 25 beaches.
Baia do Sancho on the volcanic island of Fernando de Noronha off the coast of Brazil has been named the world’s best beach in Tripadvisor’s 2023 Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches
Eagle Beach in Aruba – praised by one visitor for its ‘clear turquoise waters and white sands’ – claims the global silver medal
First-place Baia do Sancho, set over 200 miles (321km) from mainland Brazil, has racked up more than 8,500 reviews to date – over 90 per cent of which award a coveted ‘five-bubble’ rating.
Tripadvisor says: ‘With a timezone just two hours behind the UK, this is the perfect spot for British travellers looking to extend their holiday and take advantage of remote working in 2023, moving their office to the beach.’
Silver-medal-winner Eagle Beach, meanwhile, was praised by one visitor for its ‘clear turquoise waters and white sands’, and third-place Cable Beach, which lies outside the Australian resort town of Broome, was praised by one visitor as ‘just magical’.
Fourth place is taken by striking Reynisfjara Beach near the village of Vik in Iceland, which has black sands and imposing rock formations. You may recognise it from Game of Thrones.
Tripadvisor describes it as ‘a beach like no other’, but if you visit and fancy a dip, be warned – waves there can reach 130ft (40m) and the water is frigid.
The remainder of the worldwide top 10 list includes Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos (fifth), and Praia da Falesia in Portugal’s Algarve region (sixth) – ‘a beautiful, clean, sandy beach with red cliffs that seem to go on forever’.
Cable Beach, which lies outside the Australian resort town of Broome, was praised by one visitor as ‘just magical’. It ranks third overall
Kaanapali Beach in Hawaii is the top-ranking beach in the U.S, landing 10th on the global table
Gorleston-on-Sea on the Norfolk coast is the UK’s top-ranking beach – it comes 12th on the European list
Fourth in the global ranking and first on the European list is Reynisfjara Beach near the village of Vik, Iceland
Landing in fifth place in the global ranking is Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos
Boasting ‘red cliffs that seem to go on forever’, Praia da Falesia in Portugal’s Algarve region ranks sixth overall and second on the European list
Radhanagar Beach on India’s Havelock Island ranks seventh, with one traveller recommending that travellers ‘stay for the sunset for an unforgettable experience’. It’s followed by the ‘extremely lovely’ Spiaggia dei Conigli on the Italian island of Lampedusa (eighth) and Varadero Beach in Cuba (ninth).
Regarding 10th-place Kaanapali Beach, set on the island of Maui, one visitor remarked: ‘When you think of a Hawaiian paradise… this is it.’
Other U.S beaches to make the global ranking are Florida’s Siesta Beach (11th, second in the U.S) and the ‘Instagrammable’ Driftwood Beach on Georgia’s Jekyll Island (12th, third in the U.S).
Radhanagar Beach on India’s Havelock Island ranks seventh, with one traveller recommending that travellers ‘stay for the sunset for an unforgettable experience’
The ‘extremely lovely’ beach of Spiaggia dei Conigli on the Italian island of Lampedusa ranks eighth in the global ranking and third in the European ranking
Pictured above is Varadero Beach in Cuba, which places ninth in the global ranking
In the Europe ranking, first-place Reynisfjara Beach, second-place Praia da Falesia and third-place Spiaggia dei Conigli are followed by the ‘breathtaking’ La Concha Beach in San Sebastian, Spain, in fourth place.
It’s one of three Spanish beaches to make it into the European top 10 – Playa de Muro in Majorca ranks fifth and Sotavento beach on Fuerteventura in the Canaries is ninth.
The rest of the European top 10 comprises Falassarna Beach on the Greek isle of Crete (sixth), Nissi Beach in Ayia Napa, Cyprus (seventh), the ‘gorgeous’ Balos Lagoon on Crete (eighth) and ‘absolutely stunning’ Plage du Sillon in Brittany, France (tenth).
The ‘breathtaking’ La Concha Beach in San Sebastian, Spain, is fourth in the European ranking
Above is the picturesque Playa de Muro in Majorca, which takes fifth place on the European list
Sliding into sixth place on the European list is Falassarna Beach on the Greek isle of Crete (above)
Nissi Beach in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, is the seventh-best beach in Europe, as per the Tripadvisor ranking
The ‘gorgeous’ beach of Balos Lagoon in Crete (pictured) finishes eighth in the European ranking
Sotavento beach on the Spanish isle of Fuerteventura (above) is ninth in the European ranking
The ‘absolutely stunning’ beach of Plage du Sillon in Brittany, France, takes tenth place on the European list
UK No.1 Gorleston-on-Sea is described as a ‘lesser known’ neighbouring beach of Great Yarmouth and is new to the list for 2023.
Tripadvisor says: ‘The three-mile sandy stretch was the backdrop to the Richard Curtis film, Yesterday, and has hosted famous faces such as Ed Sheeran and Danny Boyle. Located along the picturesque Norfolk coastal path, this Victorian seaside town is a hidden gem, popular with families and surfers alike.’
One visitor remarked that ‘this has to be one of the finest beaches in the UK – and I have visited most’.
Weymouth, located on the heart of the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, has climbed five spots this year to secure 14th place in Europe, followed by surf hot spot Fistral Beach, Cornwall, which has re-entered the list this year in 22nd place after missing out on a spot in 2022. Bournemouth Beach, meanwhile, ranks 24th in Europe.
Weymouth, located in the heart of the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, climbs five spots this year to secure 14th place in the European ranking
Surf hot spot Fistral Beach in Cornwall snaps up 22nd place on the European list
Pictured above is Bournemouth Beach, which ranks 24th in Europe
Tripadvisor notes that island getaways are particularly popular this year, with almost three-quarters of the world’s top 10 situated in remote, offshore locations, from the popular beaches of Hawaii and the Caribbean to the more secluded coastlines of Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha island and India’s Havelock Island.
Commenting on the awards, Sarah Firshein, the Head of Editorial at Tripadvisor, said: ‘As a huge beach fan myself, I know the impossible-to-resist allure of sunshine and turquoise water — and certainly, there’s plenty of that on this year’s list.
‘But there are some delightful surprises as well. In addition to the much-loved beaches of the Caribbean and Hawaii, our community is really looking to kick up their experiences, even exploring cooler destinations like Reynisfjara Beach in Iceland. So whether you’re looking to pack a windbreaker or a swimsuit, our list has something for a wide range of travellers—and it might even convince the most ardent beach sceptics to embrace some time on the sand.’
For the complete list of Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best award-winning beaches for 2023, visit: tripadvisor.co.uk/TravellersChoice-Beaches.